State's jobless rate hits 7.4%

Tasmania's unemployment figure has jumped to 7.4 per cent in trend terms in January, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistic's jobs figures released this morning.

The total number of people in full-time employment fell 200 to 147,300 in January, while the total number of people in work fell 600.

There are now 18,500 Tasmanians looking for work.

Tasmania's participation rate in January was 60.2 per cent - down from 60.3 per cent in December.

A year ago, Tasmania's jobless rate was 6.7 per cent in trend terms with the state shedding 3900 full-time jobs in 12 months.

In trend estimates, Australia's jobless rate was steady at 5.4 per cent.

Around the nation, the ACT was up 0.1 per cent to 4.5 per cent, the Northern Territory steady at 3.9%, Western Australia steady at 4.3%, South Australia was up 0.1 to 5.8%, Queensland fell 0.1% to 5.9%, Victoria's jobless rate jumped 0.1% to 5.8, while NSW was steady at 5.1% all in trend terms.

In seasonally adjusted figures, the Tasmania's jobless rate also increased - from 7.4 per cent in December to 7.8 per cent in January.

Nationally, Australia's jobless rate was steady at 5.4 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms, with the economy putting on 10,400 jobs in January, driven by an increase of 20,200 in part-time employment.